How embracing rest is transforming modern wellness
In a world that treats exhaustion like a badge of honour, sleep has become the ultimate rebellion, and the most sought-after luxury. Forget 5am hustle culture. The new flex? Eight uninterrupted hours of deep, healing sleep.
Ayuko Suzuki, Director at Talise Spa, believes the modern lifestyle is waging a full-scale war on rest. 'Sleep deprivation has become a silent epidemic,' she says. 'From CEOs to elite athletes, high-performance individuals are burning out from poor sleep. It's impacting their immunity, cognition, and overall well-being.' But it's not just high-flyers. The average person, too, is under siege.
Suzuki breaks down the villains of our sleep story: blue light from screens sabotaging melatonin, chaotic schedules ruining circadian rhythms, noisy or overly bright bedrooms, and the all-too-familiar midnight Netflix binge. 'Even what you eat matters,' she adds. 'Heavy meals and too much caffeine before bed overstimulate the nervous system, making it hard to ease into sleep.' And here's the kicker: most people only get one to two hours of deep sleep a night, if that. 'That's when your body repairs, your immune system resets, and your mind detoxes. Without it, the entire system suffers.'
So, how do we reclaim our rest in an era of glowing screens and endless to-do lists? Suzuki believes in going holistic.
'Sleep is finally being recognised as vital to wellness, just like diet and exercise,' she says. 'But we need more than lavender sprays and sleep podcasts.' That's where ancient therapies come in. Meditation, qi gong, and reiki, all once dismissed as 'woo-woo', are now proving essential to the sleep reset. 'Meditation signals the nervous system to calm down. Qi gong uses breath and movement to release tension. And reiki helps clear emotional blockages that may be keeping us wired at night,' Suzuki explains.
One of the biggest hurdles? Switching off the mind. 'People don't know how to transition into rest,' she says. Her top tips? Keep it simple: dim the lights, soak in a warm bath, sip a cup of herbal tea. Ditch the screens at least an hour before bed. And while smartwatches and sleep trackers are all the rage, Suzuki offers a word of caution. 'Yes, wearables like Whoop can provide useful data on your sleep cycles. But they can also create sleep anxiety, this obsession with getting a perfect score can be counterproductive.' Instead, she recommends mindful tech boundaries. 'Start with a digital detox an hour before bed. Listen to calming music. Just... disconnect.'
One surprising tool in her kit? Sophrology. 'It's a mind-body technique that blends relaxation, breathing, and visualisation,' she explains. At Talise, guests are guided through sophrology while wearing a hyaluronic acid face mask. 'It's a total nervous system reset, and yes, it plumps the skin while you're at it,' she adds with a smile.
The physiological cost of poor sleep goes beyond fatigue. It also chips away at mental health. 'It makes us more reactive, anxious, and emotionally fragile,' Suzuki explains. The solution? 'Routine is everything. Set a consistent bedtime, and avoid intense workouts before bed.'
While the wellness industry now offers a dizzying array of sleep aids, Suzuki insists the real magic happens with consistency, and, often, guidance. 'Structured programmes that combine sleep coaching, movement, and mindfulness give people the tools to fix their sleep long-term,' she says.
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